The Jayhawks
The Jayhawks [reissue] - Lost Highway
FILTER Grade: 87%

With titles like “Six Pack on the Dashboard,” “(I’m Not In) Prison,” and “The Liquor Store Came First,” the wary listener should recognize the territory they’re in when riding with The Jayhawks. The album, released in 1986, predicts a lot of mid-90s pop (a bit of countrified R.E.M. on “Let The Critics Wonder” but the tight-knit guitar work spares them too much association with the mainstream era. No trails are being blazed here, but isn’t writing a decent country song hard enough? The mature band of Tomorrow the Green Grass was still a few years off, but if you’re looking for an introduction to what many odiously refer to as “alt.country,” this is an essential. While there’s a bit of pop sheen and spark, the drunken, romantic and (maybe) remorseful spirit of country music sleeps well tonight knowing that songwriters like Gary Louris and Mark Olson are out there. As do I. LOREN POIN